 Submitted by Adriana Shulman of Summer For Kids
Believe it or not, your child has a very important job to do... to play! That's what children MUST do in order to grow, learn new skills, and gain much needed experience. This is why it is so important for parents to buy the right toys for their kids that are both EDUCATIONAL and SAFE.
In a more technical sense; when your baby is born his brain consists of a number of neurological paths between the trillions of brain cells. And, without getting into too much detail, these neurological paths are not completely structured and linked. Educational, or developmental toys are designed to connect your child's neurological paths in the right sequence.
Socially- Children learn how to compromise, cooperate, agree, forgive, and make choices. In return, they can enjoy the pleasure of companionship and shared experiences. These are keys for children to develop into socially competent, well adjusted adults. We have toys, such as our MINILAND color bricks, or blocks super, LAURI board games that will inspire your kids to make new friends, and learn how to cooperate with others
Physically- Running, climbing, and pedaling tricycles, throwing, catching and kicking a ball, drawing, painting, block building, and lacing helps develop visual acuity and dexterity. These are valuable skills for daily activities such as writing, eating, and dressing. We have toys, like our KETTLER trikes, RAZOR scooters, Mountain Bikes or our body boards, and balls that will help strengthen your kid's muscles, increase hand-eye coordination, and help them improve their stability and balance.
Intellectually- Learning songs, playing question and answer games, and matching games enhances listening skills, comprehension and expressive language. Our two-sided, and floor dinosaur/princess puzzles, or our LAURI alphabet phonics center, matching pictures game all these toys and more at our store will help develop your child's vocabularies as they learn their numbers and letters and learn to describe sizes, shapes, and positions. It will also be sure to help them mathematically and logically. It helps them express themselves.
Creatively - Creative, or pretend play gives children the opportunity to make their own designs, and the satisfactions of creating structures that did not exist before, make no mistake pretend play is an essential part of growing up, it helps kid's begin to dream big and think about the future. It gives them a great feeling of accomplishment and success! Our Color Me Houses and Rockets along with our all natural CLEMENTINE markers, crayons, and paints, or our GREEN TOYS tea sets and cook wear are the best for creative and pretend play.
Emotionally - Play is essential for children to help relieve feelings of worry and tension, reading with parents is comforting and educational at the same time. Play is a relaxing activity that promotes emotional balance, releases pressure, and can help children positively redirect their emotions.
Children have a job that they love, and that job is to play, play actively not passively by spending time playing video games... Unfortunately, with the expanding influence of electronic media including TV, videos, video games and the internet, children are spending a lot of their time being passively entertained.
It is during play that they learn about themselves and the world around them. From infancy through childhood, children learn, grow and express themselves creatively while they play. Play is an important part of brain development. When playing, children encounter many new concepts, such as quantity, size, shape, distance, time, sound, and texture. While absorbed in play, children establish friendships, build self-esteem and learn new ways to solve problems. It is one of life's great joys to watch children happily engaged in playing. By carefully choosing toys and providing a safe play area, parents can ensure that their children will make the most of this special time.
It is crucial to not be fooled by just looks as well! Many parents make the mistake of giving in and buying things that simply look pretty or interesting to them, but kids are more interested in the simpler things in life. So don't forget your child's needs come first! And remember the best toys engage a child's senses, spark their imaginations and encourage them to interact with others.
Create a space for your children to be creative and provide encouragement and age appropriate toys but not directions. Don't fix and edit their projects, but celebrate their achievements. |
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